What started with one man’s love
for wood-fired rotisserie chicken,
coupled with his fondness for
pickleball, is now Chicken N Pickle,
one of the largest food and entertainment venues in
North Kansas City, Missouri.
Chicken N Pickle is a unique indoor/outdoor
entertainment complex, chef-driven restaurant, and
sports bar that boasts pickleball courts, ping-pong,
and a variety of yard games. The venue is a pickleball
player’s dream, as it includes opportunities for
enthusiasts to come together for a dinner or night out,
and a few games of pickleball with family and friends.
Businesses also use the venue as a fun team-building
exercise.
“Pickleball is one of my favorite ways to connect with
others. I’m looking forward to fun and fitness when we
can play again!” says Paul Long, a rec league player at
the complex.
To stay connected while physical distancing,
Chicken N Pickle has been hosting virtual yoga classes,
pickleball lessons and remote concerts for their guests.
It’s also added family-style takeout meals to make
dinners easier and are encouraging goodwill through
“buy one, give one” efforts.
Chicken N Pickle’s charitable arm, “Our
Hearts are Local,” partners
with organizations across
local communities to offer
support for those in need.
At the beginning of the
pandemic, Chicken N Pickle
challenged its three locations
in Kansas City, Wichita and San
Antonio to find 30 ways to touch
the community in 30 days. Just
four weeks into the quarantine, it
donated more than 5,000 meals
to those in need—partnering
with a local church and food
bank to distribute meals to area
families as well as free lunches
to first responders. Chicken N
Pickle also introduced “Pie it
Forward” Wednesdays—for every
pie purchased, one is donated to
charity. It also donated hundreds
of free chicken sandwiches to front-line workers,
introduced a weekly 50 percent off deal for industry
workers, coordinated weekly food drops at Ronald
McDonald Houses, and gave back 20 percent of daily
sales to local not-for-profit organizations.
Since 2018, Chicken N Pickle has been a partner
of HopeKids Kansas City. “When the COVID-19
quarantine began, Chicken N Pickle went above
and beyond for our families,” says Ashley Williams,
Program Manager for HopeKids, Inc. “Their staff
donated food to families in need and families who
have a child with a life-threatening medical condition.
They generously provided more than 150 meals
to our HopeKids families during this time. We are
grateful for their support of HopeKids and the Kansas
City community!”
As businesses begin to open, Chicken N Pickle
intends to create smaller experiences inside its
footprint—defined by the indoor/outdoor courts, game
yard, restaurant, and rooftop entertainment areas.
“The ability to create a “space within a space” will
enable people to come together in small groups at a
safe distance,” says David Johnson, founder of Chicken
N Pickle. “We can’t wait to see everyone back on the
courts for food and pickleball fun!” •
The staff enjoyed delivering meals to local hospitals as part of their “Our Hearts are Local” initiative.
JUNE/JULY 2020 | MAGAZINE 57